Wednesday, July 25, 2018

collapse camp 1 of 2 ( article 2 of 2 today )

article 2 of 2 today
COLLAPSE CAMP
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note: Sweet Baby Jesus!  I screwed up pre-posting next weeks article and it went live instead of waiting for posting and it had been up for hours before I caught it ( so I just left it up ).  So, as it turns out, you got two articles yesterday.  Scroll down if you hadn't already noticed it.  It is chapter four of the Battle Rifle Book.
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COLLAPSE CAMP
I just came across a statement to the effect that roughing it camping is worth it to avoid work and bills.  Granted, if you didn’t stress about work you wouldn’t need to go camping, and if you didn’t have bills you wouldn’t need to work ( as a broad guide-obviously we all need to eat necessitating some work.  I’m speaking of chasing the glittery unicorn lifestyle ), and if you didn’t work you couldn’t afford to go Modern Camping ( primitive camping is open to all, even or especially homeless dudes ), but that is certainly getting WAY too analytical.  Take the statement in the spirit it was intended.
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No one wants to live in dirt and pursue a primitive lifestyle, unless you actually make that your hobby and get so good at it you can both pursue luxury and be an expert that gets paid so you can afford a few modern conveniences such as metal snares and rimfire ammunition, because let’s be realistic.  No one is going to survive unless their very small tribe has a huge territory to hunt and gather in.  Varied by climate.  The Florida Indians certainly had it easier with a bigger population density than the northern Nevada locals, who pretty much were the Digger Indians everyone made fun of, the N-Bombs of their day living in the worst terrain of the continent.  The Apaches had it better.  Of course, they were also raiders instead of raid-ee’s.
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I didn’t call my living off grid “camping”, although I imagine some would think of that as roughing it.  When you have access to fresh meat and produce, and have solid walls to sleep behind, that ain’t camping.  Parking an RV at a camp site, even without utility hook-ups, that ain’t camping.  Hiking in with everything on your back, that is camping, as far as roughing it.  I would even break THAT down into modern ultra-light expensive equipment and/or a short hike as “not roughing it”.  If money is buying everything, including convenience, you can’t pretend to be living a rugged and macho lifestyle.
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Which kind of sounds like what Pretty Pony Princess Preppers do, doesn’t it?  Buying the best money can buy and then thinking that makes them an intrepid survivor/adventurer.  If you want to really impress me, equip like a cowboy and go camping, not like a Navy SEAL.  Hell, I’ll even allow an AR-15 in your kit, being as how it is the lever action of today ( although given the price of ammunition 100 years ago, I don’t believe they ever lost track of how wasteful it was to spray lead ).  Sure, there were more powerful rifles of the day.  Cowpokes weren’t under any illusion they were snipers ( called sharpshooters back then? ) and carbines were better suited for their skill set.  Remember that as you lust after a full powered cartridge battle rifle.
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Anyway, enough beating that dead hobby horse.  When I came across the statement “camping is worth avoiding work and bills”, I immediately thought of the collapse being viewed the same way.  None of us are under any illusions that camping in a roughing it sort of way is glamorous or desirable, certainly not for any length of time.  It is preferable to working, in a vacation capacity, not in a homeless way.  And none of us are really honest injun looking forward to murder and famine and a 99% die-off.  We are looking forward to the death of politicians and lawyers ( that includes you up there in Idaho, Economic Collapse Blog Guy, you flakey Jesus Freak Poser ), bankers and ex-wives.  The price you must pay for that is the very collapse that expatiated their demise.
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Anytime you serious prep, as in prep for the actually collapse of civilization, you are smeared with the crazy survivalist label, even from other preppers.  And they always play the “creepy humper WANTS to see all the death and destruction” card.  As if we shall glory in it.  Now, the very few that have a sense of humor, amongst the Doomer folk ( another smear label ), might come across that way, joking about body counts, God sorting out the casualties, and etcetera, but that is just the same morbid sense of humor that cops and the military use as a coping mechanism.
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( except officers in the military.  They have zero sense of humor.  They also have zero exposure to danger, relatively speaking for the most part.  I imagine the ones exhibiting any humor are certain to get transferred to the front line, an attrition to keep the Corp pure and serious.  Since the entire officiating body in the military is grossly incompetent, they all rely purely on appearances to look competent.  Kind of like a lot of females )
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No one wants to be camping as a homeless person, and no one wants an apocalypse unless they are far removed from its effects.  Kind of like the civilians that set up a picnic to view the glorious victory of their magnanimous Yankee Boys In Blue who would teach those treacherous scoundrels that the Union was no longer a voluntary membership, then had to scamper away in panic, ass over teakettle, when things turned south, you can be a little too close to the conflict if you need a good view.
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Safely removed from any stray shrapnel, the coming battle can be viewed in a more detached and indifferent manner.  Which is the place you want to be if at all possible.  Be the redneck up on the hill laughing at all the rich bitches running away in panic as civilian wagons are blown up by artillery.  THEN you can enjoy the spectacle.  Not because you want to necessarily participate or enjoy a close view of the carnage, but precisely because you don’t have to.  Those not adequately prepared, that don’t have the proper tools for camping, as it were, will be forced to be too close to the battlefield.  The smart ones won’t. 
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With tools and knowledge, camping in the most primitive manner can be enjoyable.  So with the apocalypse.  We aren’t enjoying it because others are dying, we are able to enjoy it because we are not a casualty.  And to be more precise, tools and knowledge for the apocalypse also follow in the same vein as those for camping.  They have to be the right kind of tools and knowledge.  I think we’ll explore that tomorrow.
( .Y. )
( today's related link https://amzn.to/2JIuWj8 )

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34 comments:

  1. Nice work today Lord Bison, you've certainly piqued my interest. Looking forward to going down further this rabbit hole with you!

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  2. If you already have a property that you can build a permanent shelter (i.e. Bison dome shelter - elevated wood platform - junked van - etc.) along with an adjacent overhead cover for getting out of sun and rain, you are way WAY ahead in the game. The hard stuff is having ready water nearby, because you are going to be spending a lot of time finding and preparing potable water and firewood to stay warm in winter.

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    1. If the wood is all split for the winter, that means winter is about to start. Add in water hauling and welcome to your new job. Not to even mention food.

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    2. Water - it rarely mentioned in prepper / survivalist theory. Well, not as much as muh gunz

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    3. Just don't think you need to spend big bucks on property with water. You just need reasonable access to some, from various means.

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    4. I have all the access I need *pats 12g coach gun*

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    5. Unless you have live water access on your own controlled property , you've got no water.
      For , one day someone else may control your access, if it is off your property.

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    6. You'll fight for food. Why is water different? My point is, paying the money to be self contained is unrealistic. Look beyond your imaginary safe place lines.

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  3. Good topic.
    Stealth camping in current times is good practice.
    Depending on location, entry and exiting camp under darkness reduces possible observation.
    A shallow-buried ammo can "safe" is handy if you have to leave small valuables when away.
    James, have you had a chance to field test the $20 Sawyer filter? Thanks.
    S

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    1. No testing. Like a good little chump consumer I continue to believe a company can be trusted to deliver what they promise. :(

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    2. I have used the same Sawyer for 3 years on 6 different 3 day treks. I used clear lake and river water and used a nylon for a pre-filter. Nothing was trapped in the nylon but I still had to backflush every two quarts. Very slow, I even tried hooking it in line with a one gallon tank sprayer and pumped it out as fast a guy with VD can pee. Tank sprayer with connection for pull out sprayer(kitchen faucet type) gives a nice camping showerabout 2 minutes run time. A bit costly but a Kelly kettle is the cat's ass if you need lots of boiling water heated by wood in a hurry. I camp primitive and stealthy twice a year 3 days or more. Clean water and avoiding bears and raccoons are my main concerns. Camping in a designated site sets you up for coons or loud sports fans playing the game in the woods on radios or "new"country music. I prefer to take the chance of being shat out by Ursula. Coons ran over my camp several occasions. People before threw out food and on one trip they opened up the tent zipper then opened up the cooler. .357 made them run but a side trip to the hardware store for a 440 conibear loaded with Cheetos broke a few necks. Then we had to deal with the carcasses. Lake Erie Pirate

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    3. Said every graduate from Trump University...

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    4. There are so many tests and reviews of these online I would not see a self-test as critical, particularly if you have multiple. I just took all the parts out and made sure I had what I needed to make the whole system work the way I want it to (eg, having some 2 liter soda bottles comes in handy).

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    5. Pirate: they ain't good eaten?
      Spud: or Harvard, in some cases :)
      3:35-with this product I see no worries. But how many others do I trust with little to no reason? Amazing the things we are programmed in.

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  4. Replies
    1. It's a Black thing, I don't understand. Picked it up from watching Breaking Bad. The skinny White kid acting like a Wigger. Seriously, I have no idea what it means, just the context in which to use it.

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    2. Haha. No. I posted "yo?" because I had been trying to reply to one of your comments on another article and it kept erroring out. Never happened before. Who knows.

      JeSteR

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    3. I've been having the same issue this morning. I'm sure it too shall pass.

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  5. Just had monsoon T-storm blast through town here in lost wages, nv. The points of having a durable shelter/structure/refuge is very important. A yuppie campy trip with the family unit in tents or dinky sized r.v.s on a weekend is not a training exercise for the collapse. After a comparative work week's (5 days+/-) worth of time, bad weather and rough conditions will sour one's outlook real quick. Stretch it out long term eating gruel, and the leftover family dog meat and the unicorn glitter is not so shiney. Plan accordingly.

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    1. I lived in my Hippie Bread Van for a few months. Under a tree, AND in low humidity Nevada summer was still a gold plated bitch.

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    2. Thus my yearly outings "camping" are training for off grid life.
      All the Yahoo's that hunt in my area, mostly live in campers and rv's. Running their 5kw generator , because AC ya know...
      In these parts , a tent works well without AC because of good ventilation. With layers of canopy over the tent for rain protection. Also must withstand tropical force winds and torrential rains , heh heh archery season month is also peak hurricane time.
      Sometimes it can get to be a challenge here to tent camping.
      But no way can you survive in a tin box here without aircon.

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    3. Of course, in a tent you are viciously attacked by snakes and gators. Gotta take that into consideration :)

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    4. Yeah, if'n ya go out with a Walmart tent, then snakes could be an issue.
      A good tent will have a reinforcement of waterproofing around the base, with raised doors up at least a foot above ground level with a full surround heavy zipper accessed at the top.
      Ours is a 10 x 20 two room tent, with two Ridgid frame doors that self close.
      We start with a base of pallets , then lay plywood over that. Then a blue tarp over the wood. The tent is then erected on top of this base. Making for a high and dry structure. Eight 18" screw anchors hold it all down.

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    1. Doesn't it take forever even with the countertop gravity expensive units? From what I've seen in vids of folks using them, it seems a gravity feed does all the work for you. Not sure of the specifics, just saw an elevated dozen gallon container on the table and then a line to the Sawyer near the floor. If it works all night for you...

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    2. It doesn't take forever with the gravity fed units if the filters are primed. Although, if you wait to fill the darn thing until you're dying of thirst, then it certainly takes forever. The main point about Berkey's, in particular, is that they actually claim to purify water (i.e. cleans out chemicals and such). The Sawyer can't do that.

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    3. I thought you needed the add-on black filters to add the "chemicals" option? Or is it a "instead of" rather than an "add-on"?

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    4. "Instead of", the black Berkey filter is about the same shape and size as the white all ceramic filter elements.
      I have the black ones installed and in use on my Berkey. I think it is activated carbon coupled with ceramic. The activated carbon's massive absorption surface areas reduce chemicals such as chlorine.
      Berkey rates the black elements for fewer total filtered gallons than the white: 3,000 gallons per each black element, 6,000 number frequently seen is for a pair of black elements.

      Side note on Berkey elements, invest in the backflush attachment for use when cleaning elements. It can alert you to flaws in the element such as a detachment of the plastic part that is glued to base of each elements. You otherwise won't know there is a separation there, allowing unfiltered water past.
      As recommended by Berkey, it is probably a good idea to test system with red food dye in upper chamber to see if any makes it to the filtered water chamber.
      S.

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    5. Instead of. It’s $30ish more for the black filters.

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  8. I actually recently posted an answer on Quora (a wonderful opportunity to bolivate and sound smart or get answers from people who want to do so) that reminded me of this article, so I include it below for those who might be interested.

    "You are given $1,000 and dropped off in a random U.S. city. Assuming you cannot gain more money, how long can you survive before you run out?"
    JJ Grey
    JJ Grey, lives in The United States of America (1987-present)
    Updated just now
    “You are given $1,000 and dropped off in a random U.S. city. Assuming you cannot gain more money, how long can you survive before you run out?”

    $1000 is plenty of money to get a ride home (via bus at least), so I am guessing that the ride home is not an available answer for some reason. But $1000 isn’t enough to live on for long in most US cities unless you live POOR (aka near homeless) I have at least distant friends and family in most regions of the country so I should be able to get to them, but if I were unable to utilize my social contacts that way (maybe I am on the run from authorities? That would explain why I couldn’t work openly for more money, or maybe there is a general economic collapse ala the great depression Mk2). I could survive quite a while until old age carries me off possibly. Here is how:

    I would get sufficient gear including clothes and a pack to carry it to endure camping outside in any reasonable weather conditions in this new city (should run $100 - $500). I would find out regulations regarding various self defense weapons - I know how to use a cane and walking stick if nothing else is available, and being (quickly) broke will remove most reasons for others to target me. My gear would include:

    a couple of tarps,
    a few pairs of socks including wool,
    sturdy comfortable boots,
    sturdy and warm gloves (at least one pair of each work and warmth),
    a warm hat that covers the ears
    and a hat with a big brim to keep off sun and rain,
    A jacket that is wind and water resistant,
    sturdy workman's pants or jeans a few pairs,
    several collared button up shirts long and short sleeve depending on climate,
    Possibly thermal socks and long johns depending on the climate
    possibly a foam ground pad or even just clean garbage bags full of styrofoam,
    sleeping bag and / or wool blankets and small tent.
    Soap, tooth and hairbrush, dental floss, similar hygiene items including deodorant and mild smelling cologne.
    pocket knife and a fixed blade knife just within legal limits,
    small hammer,
    walking stick/ sturdy oak or hickory cane,
    sturdy large backpack preferably framed,
    a couple of burner phones,
    A back brace to use as an interior money belt and wallet,
    Big impact resistant/safety sunglasses
    Sunscreen and bug repellents if appropriate
    some money spent washing all the used clothing with insect killing treatments (permethin if I have to).
    I would source this stuff initially from any charitable institution I could locate, then any thrift and secondhand stores, finally affordable sporting goods and camping stores if necessary. I would also use charities to provide food and shelter as much as possible, while offering to help with whatever chores I could do.

    Hopefully I would be able to work out a payment-in-kind or cash under the table employment situation with the help of those running the local charities. Keeping clean, drug and alcohol free helps this way, as does a willingness to work hard doing scut work. My down time would be spent in public libraries when not working or scrounging.

    Living poor isn’t easy but it is what I would do to husband every last cent until my name could be cleared and I could return home, or start a new life.

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    1. I believe the correct answer was "Detroit ghetto". Your answer is too austere. :)

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